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Milbrandt Vineyards 2013 The Estates Malbec, Wahluke Slope, $26

By on July 15, 2017

A pair of Milbrandt’s top vineyards along the western edge of the Wahluke Slope – Northridge and Clifton Bluff – come together for this dark and spicy expression of Washington Malbec harvested during the third week of October. A few years before, Milbrandt used to include small percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in its Malbec from this tier, but in 2013, Joshua Maloney preferred Petit Verdot (10%). Plum, blueberry, lavender and pink peppercorn notes pick up dark chocolate and coffee. There’s richness, ripeness and balance as smooth tannins and pleasing acidity lead to a finish of black olive and anise. This bottling serves as an example of the growing popularity of Malbec in Washington as Milbrandt tripled its production of this wine in less than four years.

Rating: Excellent

Production: 1,430 cases

Alcohol: 14.5%

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About Great Northwest Wine

Articles credited to Great Northwest Wine are authored by Eric Degerman and other contributors. In most cases, these are wine reviews that are judged blind by the Great Northwest Wine tasting panel.

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